Footing The Bill

摘要

Judging by the number of letters we have received, the subject of police accountability seems to have touched a raw nerve in the corridors of power. Without doubt, this is due to the recent Flanagan report and the prospect of not only a Green Paper but a White Paper in the autumn. Alarmed at the threat of a major shake-up in response to concerns about accountability, the lobbyists are flexing their muscles. In particular, the spotlight has fallen on the 43 police authorities in England and Wales, and the calibre of their councillors, an issue which has, so far, not often been at the forefront of the debate over political management at local level.